Thicker than Water
by Stelra Etnae
Summary: A locket that once belonged to her sister Hisana tells Rukia more about her past than she ever expected to know... And she finds out that she has family in Seireitei aside from her adoptive brother. Implied Uki/Uno.
1. Key to the Past

_**Just an idea I had (and somewhat inspired by the fanfic 'Resemblence' by 9foxgrl), entertaining the possibility that Ukitake and Unohana are actually married and have children. Yes, I support Ukitake x Unohana. (cheers)**_

_**Enjoy, and don't forget to review! Thank you!**_

* * *

Rukia stared in surprise and curiosity at the small box her brother had just handed her. She hadn't expected to receive a birthday present from her adoptive brother. "Nii-sama..."

"You may open it," he told her.

Obediently, she undid the neat bow which held the box together. When she lifted the lid, she found a slightly worn locket nestled in purple silk. It was flat and rectangular, with carvings decorating it. She looked at Byakuya, questions in her eyes.

"It used to belong to your sister. I thought that you may like to have it," he said simply. His expression didn't change, but Rukia thought that she may have seen a gentler look pass through his eyes when he mentioned his deceased wife.

"Hisana-nee-sama's...?" Rukia stared at the necklace.

"She treasured it very much. Interestingly, I found myself unable to open it. It seems that there was a charm placed on it. Maybe it will allow you to view its contents."

Rukia's eyes filled with tears. She never got the chance to know her sister. She never had anything of her sister's, though many people told her that she resembled Hisana greatly. Now, she had the locket. It was as if Fate was giving her a chance to know more about her sister.

"Thank you, Nii-sama." Her eyes told him more than any words ever could.

Byakuya nodded and his lips curved in a slight smile. He rose and turned to leave the room. "It may be your birthday but that does not mean that you are allowed to be late to work."

Rukia smiled, knowing that her brother was probably feeling embarrassed and was trying to cover it by being stern. After the Winter War, she had gotten to know him better. But she merely said meekly, "Yes, Nii-sama."

* * *

Rukia hummed a happy tune as she skipped towards the Thirteenth Division offices. Before leaving the manor, she had decided to wear the locket. Now it nestled under her shihakusho, feeling surprisingly warm. She hadn't tried to open it yet. There hadn't been enough time.

Entering the division, she was greeted by several well-wishers. She smiled cheerfully and thanked them.

"Ah, Kuchiki! Happy birthday."

"Ukitake-taichou!" Rukia spun around and sank into a deep bow. "Thank you very much!"

Juushirou gave her a big smile. Reaching into a sleeve of his shihakusho, he drew out a paper bag. "Here, this is for you."

Rukia's eyes widened. "You didn't have to, Taichou! I'm already happy that you remembered my birthday."

"Just accept it." Juushirou's tone was friendly but firm. He placed the handle of the bag in her hand and closed her fingers over it. "I wanted to give you something."

"Thank you," Rukia said. There was no going against her captain when he was determined. He smiled brightly. However, for a moment Rukia saw something flash in his eyes before it disappeared. Somehow, it had seemed like a deep sadness, or regret... Rukia dismissed it as a trick of the light. There was no reason for the captain to feel upset.

Thanking him again, Rukia set off towards the offices to start the day's work.

* * *

At night in her room at the Kuchiki manor, Rukia lay on her stomach on her futon and stared at the locket. The Chappy soft-toy that Ukitake had given her sat next to her. She fondled its ears absently, her eyes not leaving the necklace. One finger reached out tentatively to trace the intricate design carved on it, still beautiful despite being slightly worn by age. The design appeared to be an underwater scene, with several fish swimming about. She wondered where her sister had gotten it. It wasn't particularly fancy, being unadorned aside from the carvings, but still appeared to be quite expensive. Through his words, Rukia surmised that Byakuya had not been the one who gave it to Hisana. Then how...?

She flipped the locket over. Interestingly, both sides of the locket were decorated, this side picturing a cluster of flowers growing in a bamboo grotto. Like the other picture, it was beautifully carved.

Rukia traced a finger around the edge of the locket and jumped when something clicked. To her surprise, the locket had apparently unlocked, allowing her to open it. She remembered that Byakuya had told her that he had never managed to open it. And yet she had succeeded without even trying. It seemed that there really were wards placed on it, programmed to open for specific individuals. The newfound fact only created more questions in Rukia's mind. As far as she knew, Hisana did not have significant reiatsu. So who had put the wards over the locket?

Her heart beating quickly, she scrambled into a sitting position and picked up the locket. Her hands shook slightly as she unfolded the locket.

On one side, words were carved into the flat surface. "To our beloved daughter Hisana, Happy Birthday," Rukia whispered as she read the short message. Well, that explained one of the questions... She almost dropped the necklace when she looked at the other side.

A photo frame took up most of that surface. A family portrait had been inserted within the frame. It depicted a happy family of four. In the center, she recognized Hisana who truly looked almost exactly like her. The baby was cradled in the arms of the woman standing behind Hisana. "Is that me?" Rukia wondered aloud. It appeared to be so. A man had one arm around the woman's shoulders and the other was placed on Hisana's shoulder. They were the very picture of a blissful, loving family. But the most shocking and unexpected aspect of that photo was the identities of the two adults.

They were Ukitake Juushirou and Unohana Retsu.

* * *

She spent the next day in a daze. She hadn't seen her captain all day, which was good. She had no idea what to say to him. Should she ask him about the locket? Deep in thought, she almost walked right into someone.

"Kuchiki?"

Rukia blinked, suddenly realizing where she was. A shihakusho covered partially with a white haori blocked her view of the corridor. She swallowed, allowing her eyes to travel upwards to meet the concerned eyes of Ukitake Juushirou.

"Are you alright?" he asked when she gave no reply.

Rukia sucked in a deep breath. "Ukitake-taichou… May I talk to you privately, please?"

* * *

Juushirou settled himself in his chair behind his desk and motioned Rukia to take the one opposite him. Kiyone and Sentarou peeked curiously into the office but Juushirou waved them away, telling them to close the door behind them. "And no eavesdropping!" he warned.

This done, he returned his attention to Rukia, whose fingers were nervously playing with the black fabric of her shihakusho. He gave her a reassuring smile when she looked arrested.

"I…" Rukia's voice failed and she took a deep breath. She totally didn't have anything planned! "Erm, I mean…" she tried again.

Juushirou looked on encouragingly, not rushing her. But there was curiosity in his eyes.

"That is…" Rukia sighed and gave up. In a deft motion, she slipped the chain of the locket over her head and placed the locket on the desk.

Her captain froze. For a long moment, neither of them moved. It was as if time had stopped in the office. Rukia's face was filled with apprehension when she finally dared at sneak a glance at Juushirou. The older shinigami's face had drained of all color but his eyes held a glimmer of something akin to hope.

"May I see it?" Juushirou's voice, when he spoke, shook with a slight quaver. It sounded hoarse as well, thick with emotion.

Rukia nodded, surprised at this unexpectedly strong reaction from her captain. Just what did that locket signify? She watched as he gently picked up the locket. The locket sprang open immediately.

Juushirou stared at the photo, a reminder of happy times that seemed so far away. But now, there was a chance for those times to be revived, to a certain extent.

He raised his eyes to look at Rukia, whose features so resembled her sister's.

"I suppose you want to know the meaning of this picture."

"Yes… Please, will you tell me?"

Juushirou took a deep breath. "Currently, few shinigami know that Unohana-taichou and I are married. We even had two beautiful daughters. Their names… Their names were Hisana and Rukia."

Rukia's eyes widened.

"Those that know do not mention it anymore. This is because, more than a hundred years ago, a tragedy befell our family. Our children were kidnapped by a rogue shinigami who was determined to cause chaos within Seireitei. What better target than the children of two Gotei 13 captains? We did not expect the attack and that proved to be the worst mistake of our lives. They succeeded.

"Naturally, we were worried out of our minds. Our eldest was barely more than a child and the younger girl only a baby. We were terrified that the rebels would harm our daughters. Without waiting for instruction, we searched day and night, combing through Rukongai. It took us many days but we finally tracked the rebels down. They had hidden in the 80th District of the South Rukongai.

"I confronted the rogue shinigami. Feeling cornered, they told a lie that they knew would land the greatest blow. They told us that they had killed our children."

_*FLASHBACK*_

_Ukitake Juushirou and Unohana Retsu strode into the run-down hut in the outskirts of the 80th District of Rukongai. With it being the furthest they could put between them and Seireitei, they probably expected it to be relatively safe. But they had underestimated the determination of the captains. The group of rogue shinigami glared at them warily, swords unsheathed._

_"Where are they?" Retsu asked in a threatening voice. Juushirou's eyes moved across the room. There was no sign of their two daughters. Dread filled him._

_The rebels glanced at each other. Despite their numbers, there was no way they could beat two of the most experienced captains of the Gotei 13. The head started laughing like a madman._

_"You won't find them here, taichou-san. You won't ever find them. Do you know why?" he looked at them, a maniacal glint in his eyes. "Because I killed them." He continued cackling, but only for a moment. The next, he was dead._

_Juushirou looked in disgust at the fallen shinigami, rage in his eyes. He wiped the blood off his zanpakuto on the man's clothes. A movement to his right alerted him to an attack and he finished off the second rebel in one blow. All around him, the rebels were collapsing merely from the sheer amount of reiatsu he and Retsu were releasing. They stood no chance._

_Juushirou looked over to where his wife was standing. She was frozen on the spot, gazing unseeingly at the opposite wall. For the first time, blood dripped off Minazuki, a zanpakuto meant for healing. His heart aching, he reached out and turned her towards him. Her eyes were dull, numb._

_"Retsu…"_

_At the sound of his voice, she looked up, her eyes brimming with tears. "I can't feel their reiatsu anywhere…"_

_His heart dropped to his stomach. He had been holding on to a small sliver of hope that the rebels had been bluffing, but…_

_Retsu continued to sob into his shihakusho. He put his arms around her protectively, tears flowing down his face. "How can they be dead…? They're only children…"_

_*END FLASHBACK*_

"We returned to Seireitei after that. Retsu buried herself in her work. I think it gave her comfort, for every time she heals someone, she healed a bit of her heart. I tried to do that as well but it didn't quite have the same effect on me. So I turned to something else." Juushirou gave a small mirthless chuckle. "I think I really scared Kyouraku then. He let me have my way initially, but one day he decided that enough was enough. He dragged me out of it, with some help from Kaien."

_*FLASHBACK*_

_Kyouraku Shunsui watched as his normally calm friend drowned himself in sake._

_"Juu…" he said in a worried tone. "Don't you think that you've had enough?"_

_"Just another bottle…"_

_Shunsui shook his head at the barkeeper, signaling not to serve any more sake to them. "You've been saying that for the past hour, Juu. Come, let's get you back home."_

_"Home… It's too quiet there nowadays… Without my two angels, it's no longer home." Juushirou gave a strange laugh, further cementing Shunsui's conviction that his old friend was drunk, despite his level tones. "I don't have a home anymore." He took another swig from the sake bottle._

_Narrowing his eyes, Shunsui grabbed the bottle from Juushirou's grasp before another drop entered his mouth. He drained the rest of the contents and tossed the empty bottle away. Juushirou glared at him and he glared right back with equal ferocity._

_"You have to stop now, Juu." Shunsui was adamant. "I'll drag you out of here right now even if I have to knock you out." He didn't really want to hurt his friend. If only there was a way to kick him out of that drunken stupor…_

_"Suiten sakamake, Nejibana!"_

_Shunsui blinked in surprise as a ton of water was dumped on Juushirou's head, soaking him through. It was not exactly what he had in mind, nor was it subtle, but it definitely did the job._

_Juushirou gasped for breath after he spat water out of his mouth. "Kaien!"_

_"Forgive my insolence, Taichou! But I just couldn't stand by and watch any longer."_

_"Come, I'll bring you home." Shunsui took hold of Juushirou's arm to haul him out of the seat._

_"Not to the house. No one will be there anyway." Juushirou sighed. "Retsu usually stays in the Fourth to look after her patients."_

_"The Thirteenth Division barracks, then. The captain's rooms are always left open for you." Kaien held on to his captain's other arm. Tiredly, Juushirou nodded._

_It's good to have friends._

_*END FLASHBACK*_

"Life sort of fell into a pattern after that. Many years later… Byakuya married a girl named Hisana.

"We could barely believe it, but this young woman looked so much like our eldest daughter. We tried to approach her but she avoided contact, secluding herself in the Kuchiki manor. Disappointed, we assumed that even if she was our Hisana, she did not retain any memories of her childhood. Or perhaps, an even more heartbreaking possibility was that she resented us for not saving her that day.

"One day, Hisana collapsed."

_*FLASHBACK*_

_Juushirou stared at the private ward in the Fourth Division that housed the current Lady Kuchiki with apprehension. He wondered if it really was a good idea, coming to see her. Brushing aside his doubt, he raised a hand to knock but froze when he held voices coming from within the room._

_"Do you hate us, Hisana?"_

_There was a shocked gasp. "I… Kaa-san, why would I?"_

_"Then why, child, have you been avoiding us all this time?"_

_"I'm not worthy to be loved by you and Tou-san anymore. I… I abandoned Rukia in Inuzuri," Hisana sobbed. "As long as Rukia is not found, I cannot forgive myself."_

_"Hisana, look at me. We don't blame you for this. More than anything, we blame ourselves for not being there for you when you most needed it. You were only a child then. We should have protected you. We never thought it your fault that you didn't bring Rukia back to Seireitei for you. It was more than we ever hoped for, to learn that you were alive."_

_Muffled sobs could be heard. "I'm so sorry, Kaa-san…"_

_"It's not your fault, Hisana."_

_Juushirou silently pushed open the door and closed it behind him, looking at the scene before him. His long-lost daughter sat on the bed, crying into her mother's shihakusho. Retsu glanced up when he entered but made no indication, continuing to murmur soothing words to Hisana. Juushirou approached them and sat lightly on the bed. He reached out a hand to smooth down Hisana's hair like he used to when she was a child._

_Hisana looked up, surprised. Her violet eyes widened. "Tou-san!"_

_Juushirou looked at her with kind eyes and leaned forward to plant a light kiss on her forehead. No words were needed. Her eyes shimmered with tears at this sign of love and acceptance from her father._

_For the first time in decades, Hisana felt as if a heavy burden had lifted._

_*END FLASHBACK*_

"Unfortunately, Hisana's disease had already progressed to an advanced stage without treatment. She died a few weeks later. Several months later, Byakuya found you in Shino Academy. Your mother and I longed to recognize you as our daughter but we knew that you wouldn't have any recollection of us. We feared that the knowledge would become a burden instead. So we decided that you may be more content in the Kuchiki family under your brother-in-law's care."

"When I was sentenced to execution, you were determined to stop it…" Rukia said in realization, her mind spinning with the new-found information.

"Even if you didn't know our true relationship, I couldn't bear the thought of losing you again. I was prepared to stop it at any cost. I'm truly indebted to Kurosaki Ichigo for saving you that day." Juushirou sighed. "Rukia, could you ever forgive me from keeping this from you. Now I realize that you deserved to know about this earlier."

"Please, I need time to think. I'm sorry." Rukia stood and bowed jerkily before turning to leave the room. Juushirou didn't stop her.

* * *

Juushirou stared pensively at the locket in his hands. In her haste to leave the office, she had forgotten to take the locket with her. Ever since he had told Rukia the truth a few days ago, he hadn't seen the girl, which was a rather astonishing occurrence as they were in the same division… She was definitely avoiding him. He sighed. It was like Hisana all over again.

A familiar reiatsu signature alerted him to her presence in the doorway of the office. Rukia entered, her footsteps light but not uncertain. He looked up with a warm smile.

Rukia smiled back, encouraged. "Erm… Circumstances may have kept us apart in the past, but I would very much like to get to know my family better… Tou-sama."

Juushirou's smile widened. Tears of joy sprang to his eyes as he walked towards his daughter. He gently placed a hand on the top of her head. "Thank you, Rukia." He received a watery smile in return. "When you're ready, we'll go see your mother. She'll be delighted to see you."

Against all odds, a family once broken is reunited in Seireitei.

* * *

_**I'm sorry if the characters seem OOC. I tried to keep them in character while showing that the two captains were once young too. I hope it worked. Please review and let me know what you think!**_

_Note: The designs on the locket have a hidden meaning related to Juushirou and Retsu. On the underwater scene side, the fishes actually represent Sougyo no Kotowari (twin fishes) and Minazuki (a manta ray). For the other side, the bamboo is connected to Ukitake ('take' is bamboo) and the flowers are connected to Unohana ('hana' is flower). ^_^_

**A possible side story to this plotline (may write depending on response):**

**An outing with the Ukitakes, feat. Ichigo and Byakuya.**

**Summary: It was one thing for your girlfriend to have a over-protective brother who would sooner go bankai on you than accept your relationship... And it was another thing all together to find out that said girlfriend is ALSO related to TWO of the oldest and strongest captains in Seireitei. Ichigo is so doomed.**


	2. Tea at the Ugendou

_**Here's the bonus story/continuation that I promised and you requested for! I'm sorry for the lateness.**_

_**I hope that you'll enjoy it as much as you enjoyed the first one-shot! Don't forget to review!**_

* * *

"Of course, it goes without saying that if you do anything hurt Rukia, there will be repercussions. Am I clear?" This was said with an amiable smile from one of the most powerful captains in Soul Society. The smile, however, did nothing to decrease the potential killing intent.

Ichigo gulped. "Yes, ma'am." Cold sweat ran down the back of his neck.

Apparently satisfied, Unohana-taichou took a sip of green tea.

Ichigo let out the breath that he had unconsciously been holding. For the first time, he had gotten a taste of why the serene Fourth Division captain was one of the most feared captains in Soul Society.

Now how on Earth and Soul Society had he gotten into this situation?

* * *

_Flashback to several days ago_

Isane popped her head into the office, where her captain was taking a break.

"Taichou, Ukitake-taichou is here to see you."

Retsu got to her feet at once. "Is the man ill? I told him a thousand times not to overexert himself but he never listens…"

"I'm fine, Retsu," Juushirou interrupted her as he entered the room. He nodded with a kind smile towards Isane, a sign for her to leave. The vice-captain obediently went back to her duties, but not before casting a curious glance at the small figure half-hidden behind the man's robes.

Retsu was not convinced. "The weather has been cold recently, you should wear a scarf. Have you been drinking the herbal tea I gave you? You're supposed to take it every day but you always forget…"

"Retsu," Juushirou interrupted gently. "Kiyone and Sentarou prepare it for me every day and make sure I finish it to the last drop. You know how those two are. Anyway, I didn't come to visit you to argue about my health. There's someone who wants to meet you."

Juushirou turned to give an encouraging smile to Rukia, who had been trying (with considerable success, mind you) to fade into the back of his haori.

At her captain's nod, she finally mustered the courage to step out from her hiding-place behind him and bow politely.

Retsu was understandably confused. However, Juushirou could see the conflicting emotions of pain and hope flash in her eyes. "Kuchiki-san, what can…"

"Rukia, ma'am."

Retsu paused. The hope in her eyes grew.

"Please call me Rukia…" Rukia finally raised her head to meet Retsu's eyes, and gave a shy smile. "Kaa-sama."

A hundred years' worth of suppressed tears seemed to surface. Retsu opened up her arms and Rukia shyly stepped into her embrace. She shamelessly wept at the feeling of that small body wrapped in her arms. "Rukia… My child… My sweet child…"

Juushirou wrapped his arms around both of them, completing the embrace. A family, reunited after more than a hundred years. His precious family. Juushirou placed a kiss first on Retsu's head, then on Rukia's. They stayed in that position for a long while, trying desperately to make up for years of lost time.

Rukia had never felt so secure and loved in her life.

* * *

The next day, Juushirou paid a visit to the head of the Kuchiki house.

"Kuchiki-taichou," he greeted.

"Ukitake-taichou. What brings you here?" As Juushirou seated himself on the cushion opposite him, Byakuya waved for a servant to serve tea.

Juushirou waited for the servant to leave before answering. "It is a matter concerning Rukia."

Byakuya took a sip of high-quality green tea. "I hope that she isn't troubling you."

"Oh no, nothing of that sort. Well…" Juushirou hesitated slightly. How should he phrase this? "You see, Rukia is my daughter."

Juushirou was able to witness the rare sight of the stoic captain's renowned calm slipping just a little bit.

"I'm sorry?" Byakuya was certain that he had misheard the other captain's words.

"Rukia is my daughter," Juushirou repeated. "And yes, Hisana was my daughter as well."

Seeing that Byakuya was temporarily speechless, Juushirou continued. "My two daughters were kidnapped when they were very young, and were thought to have been killed by the kidnappers. When you married Hisana, we realized that they were still alive. However, due to Hisana's feeling of guilt for leaving Rukia in Inuzuri, she avoided my wife and me. Later on, when you adopted Rukia, we decided that it was in her best interest to leave her in your care. However, I have realized that it was wrong to keep the truth from her."

"So you wish to tell her about your connection?" Byakuya had finally overcome his shock.

At that, Juushirou gave a sheepish smile. "Actually, she already knows. She saw the family portrait inside Hisana's locket and confronted me about it."

There was a knock and the door slid open. It was Rukia, kneeling respectfully with her head bowed. "Nii-sama, I've returned… Oh!" She raised her head and caught sight of Juushirou. "I'm sorry for intruding-"

"Come in, Rukia," Byakuya ordered. "We were just talking about you."

Feeling rather nervous, Rukia did as she was told, taking a seat at the low table with the two men.

Juushirou decided to cut to the chase. "So, the purpose of my visit is to formally request permission from you, the head of the Kuchiki family, for me to officially recognize Rukia as my daughter. I would like her to return to the Ukitake family."

Rukia gasped. Her eyes were wide with surprise.

Byakuya was pensive for a moment. "Is this what you want, Rukia?"

"I… Yes, Nii-sama."

Byakuya nodded. "Permission granted."

Juushirou smiled. "Thank you. I also have another reason to visit. Unohana-taichou and I are organizing a simple tea-party with Rukia at the Ugendou, my private quarters on Sunday afternoon. We would be honored if you would join us."

"Unohana-taichou?"

"My wife."

Byakuya's cool slipped for the second time within the hour as he digested this new piece of information.

"It is the least we can do to repay your kindness for taking care of both Hisana and Rukia for so many years."

"Thank you for the invitation. I will be there."

"Lovely." Juushirou got to his feet. "I won't detain you any longer, then. I shall take my leave, Kuchiki-taichou, Rukia." With a nod to each of them, he left.

The Kuchiki siblings sat in silence. Rukia started fiddling with the hem of the cushion she was seated on.

"Hisana would have wanted this."

Rukia raised her head to look at his profile. His expression betrayed nothing. But not for the first time, Rukia thought of how lonely he must be.

"You really loved Hisana-nee-sama, didn't you, Nii-sama?"

Byakuya stared out at the window at the cherry blossom tree. In January, it remained bare and faintly covered in frost. It would not bloom until March. "I loved her more than anything else in the world."

"Thank you for telling me this, Nii-sama." Rukia shifted to kneel in front of him. She bowed formally. "Thank you for all that you have done for me through the years. I am eternally grateful for the care that you have shown me." She paused. "But permit me to make a selfish request."

"Go on."

"I would like to continue addressing you as Nii-sama."

The sadness in Byakuya's eyes lightened and he allowed himself a small smile. "Permission granted."

Rukia bowed again. "May I take my leave, Nii-sama?" When Byakuya nodded, she rose and turned towards the door. As she slid open the finely-crafted paper door, her brother's voice stopped her.

"Rukia."

She turned back towards him, curious. "Yes, Nii-sama?"

"In the future… it would please me if you would continue to think of the Kuchiki Manor as your home."

Rukia smiled. "Thank you, Nii-sama."

* * *

The day of the tea-party dawned clear and sunny. The weather was the warmest they had seen this January. Perfect.

"Ah, beautiful." Juushirou stepped out of the building and took a deep breath of the crisp, clean air.

"Ukitake-taichou." "Tou-sama." Byakuya and Rukia had just arrived.

Juushirou's smile widened. "Come, come, have a seat." He waved them towards the outdoors stone table and chairs which was placed next to the building. It was strategically placed, giving them a lovely view of the pond that surrounded the Ugendou. "Since the weather is so fine, we decided to have the tea-party outside. Retsu is preparing the tea."

"Ah, I'll go help." Rukia disappeared inside the building.

Soon, Retsu joined the two men sitting outside, a tea-tray in her hands. Rukia followed in her wake, carrying a tray laden with various Japanese sweets. Retsu smiled kindly at Byakuya as she set the tray on the table. "Welcome."

Byakuya inclined his head. "Thank you for inviting me, Unohana-taichou."

She smiled. "Please don't stand on ceremony. You are Hisana's husband and Rukia's brother. If you don't find us too presumptuous, we would like you to welcome you as a member of our family."

Byakuya was touched. "Thank you. If you would like to, you may call me Byakuya."

Her smile brightened. "Thank you, Byakuya."

The party progressed pleasantly, with a comfortable atmosphere. The four shinigami sat down at the table, making idle conversation.

"Your koi are very fine," Byakuya said conversationally, his tone bland.

"They are a… recent acquisition. Somehow, the numbers started increasing about twenty years ago." Juushirou's tone was genuinely perplexed.

Rukia bit back a laugh. She knew exactly where those golden koi came from and why they were increasing in number. She caught her brother's eye and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. He took a sip of tea to hide it.

"Rukia!"

Surprised, Rukia looked towards the source of the voice. "Ichigo! What are you doing here?"

"Yo, Ukitake, Unohana-san, Byakuya. Well, Urahara told me to send some weird invention to the 12th Division. Since I had time, I thought I would visit you, but the people at the Kuchiki manor told me that you were here, so I came."

One thing lodged itself in Byakuya's mind. "Kurosaki. You know where the Kuchiki manor is?"

Ichigo glanced at him, surprised at the question. "Yeah. I drop by once in a while to see Rukia."

Byakuya made a mental note to increase the security of the manor. Better yet, deny the damn strawberry access.

The two senior captains looked on, amused. Retsu spoke up. "Kurosaki-kun, we're having a tea-party. Do join us. We would like to have a chance to know you better."

"Sure, why not?"

And that sealed the poor strawberry's fate.

* * *

**_Poor, poor Ichigo. Let's hope he never breaks Rukia's heart, or else the strawberry will find himself stabbed through by Sougyo no Kotowari, turned into strawberry mash by Senbonzakura, and swallowed by Minazuki. And that will be the end of the Deathberry. RIP. XD_**

**_Note: In case you don't know, the golden koi in Juushirou's pond at the Ugendou were stolen from the Kuchiki manor by Yachiru. (LOL) They are apparently a get-well gift for Juushirou._**

**_How did you like this bonus story? Please review! Feedback is much appreciated._**


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